Gingerbread Cupcakes w/ Cinnamon Browned Butter Buttercream

by Half Baked Harvest

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp Ginger, Ground

• 1 tsp Cinnamon, Ground

• 1/4 tsp Nutmeg, Ground

• 1/4 tsp Cloves, Ground

• 1/4 tsp kosher salt

• 1/3 cup whole milk, at room temperature

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) salted butter, at room temperature

• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

• 2 teaspoons McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract

• 1/2 cup molasses

• 1 egg, at room temperature

Cinnamon Browned Butter Frosting 

• 1 cup salted butter at room temperature

• 2-3 cups powdered sugar

• 2 tablespoons honey

• 1 teaspoon McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract

• 1 teaspoon McCormick Cinnamon, Ground

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.

2. In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt. 

3. Using an electric mixer, beat together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla, molasses and egg until combined. Add the milk, alternating with the flour mixture until everything is combined. 

4. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin pan. Transfer to the oven and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of each comes out with moist crumbs attached, 18-22 minutes. Let cool before frosting.

5. To make the buttercream. Add 1 stick butter to a skillet set over medium heat. Allow the butter to brown lightly until it smells toasted, about 2-3 minutes. Stir often. Remove from the heat and transfer the butter to the mixing bowl, let cool until it's room temp.

6. Add the remaining stick of butter and 2 cups powdered sugar. Beat the butter and powdered sugar together until the butter is light and fluffy. Add the honey, vanilla, and cinnamon and beat until combined, adding more powdered sugar as needed until your desired consistency is reached. 

7. Frost and decorate cupcakes as desired. Enjoy!

Gingerbread Bundt Cake

by Salt & Baker

Ingredients

• 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

• 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 1/4 tsp ground ginger

• 1/4 tsp all spice

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

• 4 eggs whisked, room temp

• 1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar

• 1 cup unsalted butter, melted

• 1 cup buttermilk

• 1/2 cup molasses

Maple Glaze

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

• 3 tsp real maple syrup

• 6 tsp milk

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 10 cup bundt pan. * Set aside.

2. In a medium sized bowl whisk the dry ingredients, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices. In the bowl of your stand mixer add the eggs, brown sugar, melted butter, buttermilk, and molasses. Using the paddle attachment, mix on low until the wet ingredients are combined, about 30 seconds. Add the flour into the wet ingredients. Mix on low until combined.

3. Pour the batter into your prepared bundt pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick is inserted and comes out mostly clean or with a few moist crumbs on it. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes. Invert cake onto cake stand. Allow to cool before topping with the glaze.

Maple Glaze

1. In a small bowl whisk the powdered sugar, syrup, and milk until combined. Pour over the cake.

Vegan Woodland Animal Ginger Cake

by Domestic Gothess

Vegan Gingerbread Animal Biscuits:

• 100 g (3.5 oz) coconut oil or dairy free margarine (I like to use half of each)

• 80 g (1/3 + 1/8 cup) light brown soft sugar

• 50 g (2 Tbsp) golden syrup

• 25 g (1 Tbsp) treacle or molasses

• 1 Tbsp water

• 2 tsp ground ginger

• 2 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp ground cloves

• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

• 240 g (2 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour

Vegan Royal Icing:

• 235 g (2 + 1/3 cups) icing (powdered) sugar sifted

• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

• 2 Tbsp aquafaba

• black gel food colouring optional

Vegan Ginger Cakes:

• 450 g (3 + 3/4 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour sifted

• 1 1/4 tsp baking powder

• 1 1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

• 4 1/2 tsp ground ginger

• 2 tsp mixed spice (pumpkin spice)

• 160 g (3/4 cup) caster sugar

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 160 ml (2/3 cup) sunflower oil

• 200 g (7oz) golden syrup

• 200 g (7oz) treacle

• 360 ml (1 1/2 cups) boiling water

Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 125 g (4.5 oz) vegetable shortening (I use Trex)

• 125 g (4.5 oz) dairy free cream cheese (full fat - I use Asda's own brand)

• 575 g (5 + 3/4 cups) icing (powdered) sugar sifted

• 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp fresh lemon juice

• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

To Decorate:

• 1/2 batch vegan lemon curd

• sugared cranberries

• rosemary sprigs

• hazelnuts, pecans and pumpkin seeds

Vegan Gingerbread Animals:

1. Place the golden syrup, treacle, light brown sugar, coconut oil or margarine and  water in a pan.

2. Heat gently while stirring until the coconut oil/margarine has melted. Whisk in the cinnamon, ginger, cloves and bicarbonate of soda then stir in the plain flour until it forms a soft dough and no pockets of flour remain.

3. Allow to cool a little then bring the mixture together into a ball (it will still be very soft), wrap in clingfilm and refrigerate for about an hour until it is firm enough to roll out.

4. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to about 4mm thick and cut out animal and tree shapes with the cookie cutters of your choice.

5. Re-roll the trimmings and cut out more shapes then place them well spaced apart on a couple of baking trays. Pop the trays in the freezer for twenty minutes while you heat up the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4.

6. Bake the biscuits for 8-12 minutes, until they are just beginning to darken around the edges then transfer them to a wire rack to cool.

Vegan Royal Icing:

1. To make the royal icing, mix the little lemon juice and aquafaba into the sifted icing sugar until it forms a thick but pourable consistency. If you drizzle some back into the bowl the pattern should disappear after about 8-10 seconds. If it is too thick then stir in a little more aquafaba or lemon juice, and if it is too runny then mix in some more sifted icing sugar.

2. Spoon it into a piping bag fitted with a small writing nozzle. Ice the ginger biscuits as you like then leave them to dry. Once they are dry you can add a bit of detailing with a fine paintbrush dipped in black gel food colouring if you like.

3. Once the icing is dry the biscuits can be stored in an airtight container for at least a week.

Vegan Ginger Cakes:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Grease three 20cm/8in round cake tins and line the bases with baking parchment.

2. Whisk together the sifted plain flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, ginger, mixed spice, caster sugar and salt in a large bowl.

3. Add the golden syrup, treacle, sunflower oil and boiling water to the bowl and whisk until no lumps of flour remain.

4. Divide the batter between the prepared tins and bake for about 25 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

5. Leave to cool in the tins for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting:

1. Don't make the buttercream until you are ready to assemble the cake. Whisk together the vegetable shortening and dairy free cream cheese until smooth.

2. Add the sifted icing sugar, fresh lemon juice and vanilla extract and whisk until smooth. If the frosting is too soft then you can whisk in some more sifted icing sugar; and if it is too stiff then you can add a drop more lemon juice or a little non-dairy milk.

3. Transfer a third of the buttercream to a disposable piping bag and snip off the tip, or place it in a regular piping bag fitted with a large round nozzle.

Assembly:

1. Trim the tops of the cake layers to level them (a cake wire is best for this) then place one layer on a serving platter or board.

2. Spread over a thin layer of the buttercream then pipe a wide ring of buttercream around the edge of the cake. You can also add a blob in the middle to help make the cake more sturdy (I didn't do this but in hindsight I should have done!).

3. Spread a couple of spoonfuls of lemon curd inside the ring of buttercream, making sure not to overfill it.

4. Spread a thin layer of buttercream over the bottom of one of the remaining cake layers and place it on top. Repeat the same steps as before.

5. Spread a thin layer of buttercream over the TOP of the final cake layer and place it on the cake upside down to give you a flat surface.

6. Spread a layer of buttercream over the top and sides of the cake, use a bench scraper or palette knife to get the sides smooth but leave the top rough so it looks snowy.

7. Cut a slit in the top of the cake where you want each of the trees to go and press a tree trunk into each one. Insert a wooden skewer into the cake close behind each tree to hold them up. (You will probably need to trim the skewers a bit to get the right height but make sure that they will go all the way through the cake and leave enough sticking out to hold the trees up.)

8. Use blobs of any leftover frosting to stick animal biscuits around the cake and place one on top of the cake (I just leant my fox against one of the trees).

9. Add sugared cranberries, sprigs of rosemary, hazelnuts, pecans and pumpkin seeds to complete the look.

10. Best served the day it is assembled but any leftovers will keep in an airtight container for up to five days.

Festive Starry Mince Pie Tart

by diys.com

Mincemeat

• 1 1/4 cups currants

• 1 1/4 cups raisins

• 1 1/4 cups sultanas

• 1 1/4 cups dried cranberries

• 1/2 + 1/8 cup mixed candied peel

• 1/2 cup butter, cubed

• 2 1/4 cups light brown soft sugar

• 1/3 cup almonds, chopped

• 1 large cooking apple, such as bramley, peeled, cored and grated

• 1 1/2 tsp mixed spice (pumpkin/apple pie spice)

• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp ground ginger

• 1/4 tsp ground cloves

• finely grated zest and juice of 1 large orange

• 1/2 + 1/3 cup rum, brandy or port

Shortcrust Pastry:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 Tbsp powdered sugar

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed

• 1 large egg yolk (reserve the white)

• 2 tsp cold water

Cinnamon Shortbread Stars:

• 1 stick softened unsalted butter

• 1/3 cup granulated sugar (plus extra for sprinkling)

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Method

1. To make the mincemeat, place all of the ingredients apart from your choice of alcohol into a large pan, heat gently, stirring, until the butter has melted then simmer very gently, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes.

2. Remove from the heat and leave to cool until just warm then stir in the alcohol. Cover and refrigerate until needed. You can also decant it into sterilised jars, seal and store for up to six months.

3. For the pastry, put the flour and icing sugar into a food processor (or mixer) and add the butter, whiz for a minute or so until the mix resembles breadcrumbs.

4. Add the egg yolk and the cold water, whiz again briefly until the pastry comes together; adding a few more drops of cold water if necessary. Alternatively, rub the butter into the flour and icing sugar in a bowl by hand, then add the egg yolk and water and mix until the pastry comes together.

5. Tip the pastry onto a lightly floured surface and bring it together with your hands to form a ball, then flatten into a disc. Wrap the disc in clingfilm and chill it for 30 minutes.

6. For the shortbread stars, use a hand mixer to mix the butter and sugar together until pale and creamy. Or, do this by hand with a wooden spoon. Tip in the flour, salt and cinnamon and mix again to combine, if it seems too dry then you can add a drop of milk to help bring it together. Shape the dough into a disc as you did with the pastry, wrap it in clingfilm and chill it for 20 minutes.

7. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface until it slightly larger than a 8×12 inch rectangular tart tin, then press into the tin to line it; leaving the excess pastry overhanging. Pop in the freezer for 20 minutes.

8. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place a baking tray in the oven to heat up. Line the pastry case with tin foil and fill with ceramic baking beans or dried rice. Place the tart on the preheated baking tray and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and baking beans and return the tart to the oven for 10 minutes until pale golden. Keep an eye on the edges and cover them with tin foil if they start to get too dark. Set aside to cool slightly then use a sharp serrated knife to carefully trim the edges.

9. While the tart case is blind baking, roll out the cinnamon shortbread on a lightly floured surface to about ¼ inch thick. Use a variety of star shaped cutters (smaller is better) to cut out lots of star shapes. Re-roll the scraps and cut out more stars. Place the stars on a couple of baking trays and put them in the freezer for 20 minutes.

10. Fill the baked tart case with the mincemeat (you wont need all of it). Arrange some of the stars on top. Brush with some of the reserved egg white and sprinkle with a little granulated sugar.

11. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the stars are golden. If the edges of the tart start to brown too much then cover them with strips of tin foil. Set aside to cool in the tin before carefully unmoulding, sprinkling with a little powdered sugar and serving.

12. Place the remaining stars on a baking sheet, slightly spaced apart. Brush with egg white and sprinkle with sugar as before then bake for about 10 minutes until golden. Cool on a wire rack and store in an airtight container.